Families Are Forever (Simple As That) Review

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(More customer reviews)Most baby albums start with new-baby photographs. But for a little girl named Rain, her "forever family" album begins with her adoptive mother's trip to China to meet her. Told from Rain's point of view when she's "almost six," this sweet tale is graceful and eloquent: "Our eyes were different, but we could both see. Our lips were different, but we could both smile." There's no question that it was love at first sight: "I could see love in her eyes. So I gave it right back." Bridging both the generation and culture gap is Bo, the cuddly stuffed hippo who was once the mother's toy and now is a companion to Rain. This story presents a reassuring way to talk to young children about adoption: "Mom always says I was the best present she ever got."
Terrific writing teams up with superb illustrations. The photo-album technique is perfect here, providing the highlights of this family-building process.
One of the book's creators - who did adopt a Chinese girl - founded a company called As Simple As That™, which provides multi-media products that encourage children to understand and respect other cultures. Their tagline is wonderful: Celebrating What We All Share. Truly, this book is a celebration of love and life.
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A family's particular origin is only the start of what being "a family" means. In this heartwarming tale of family love and beginnings, Rain meets Bo and her new "forever" Mom and they become a brand new family. There are many kinds of families, but all families are forever. It's as Simple as That.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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The Silenced Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up this newly released book yesterday with the intention of reviewing it as a possibility for an eighth grade English class. As a teacher I used Mr. DeVita's earlier novel "Blue" for a school wide project at an arts Middle School in Wisconsin. My skimming review of the book for school use turned into a 12 hour addiction. Couldn't put it down! My teenage children and husband are fighting over whose turn it is to read. I can't recommend this book more highly. Not only is it an exciting fictional offshoot of three actual unsung heroes of the holocaust, reminiscent of Number the Stars, but an inspiring tale of activism in the face of overwhelming odds. The words "people deserve the government they're willing to tolerate" keeps ringing in my head. My students will be reading this in the fall, and I know it will spur on many historical and political discussions. This book is not only entertaining for all ages, but like every great novel, it makes one think about our responsibility in the world, and the courage it sometimes takes to fulfill that responsibility. You won't be able to put it down!

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At Home in This World, A China Adoption Story Review

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(More customer reviews)There are at least two things that make this book stand out from the growing field of literature about adoption from China: it is told from the perspective of a child, rather than an adult, and it takes into account the sad feelings, as well as the happy ones that we parents remember so well.
In her introduction, the author (a mother of two girls from China) describes how she first put together an adoption story that emphasized all the wonderful things about adoption including a "...baby-book heavy on adoption-day photographs." Then she realized that "The relentlessly positive spin I chose to put on my girls' pre-adoption birth story was confusing to my daughters, who recognized buried feelings that didn't always parallel mine." She found that she needed to address and legitimize these feelings.
This is not to say that the book is sad. The young narrator tries to make sense of why her birthparents would leave her, she wonders what they look like, she notes that she looks like a "confused little baby" in her adoption video, and she talks about early dreams she had of being lost after she went to sleep at night. She says "I understand all of these things in my head, but it is so much harder to understand in my heart." She concludes her story by saying that she is bringing her sides together ..."One girl from two places who is growing up to be at home in this big, wide world."
After the story, the author includes some information at questions that parents and children can discuss after they read the book.
The book is illustrated with charming watercolors by Qin Su, a native of China. They have a fresh, direct quality to them.
This belongs on adoptive parents' bookshelf along with Mommy Far, Mommy Near by Carol Antoinette Peacock and Kids Like Me in China by Yin Ying Fry.

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"I am nine years old and someone a lot like you. Part of my life has been like a puzzle needing pieces, but I am understanding more about myself and my life everyday. This is my story..."So begins the honest, lyrical reflection of a pre-adolescent girl on what she knows of her adoption from China, and the strength she gains from her acceptance of her bittersweet experience. The book addresses the underlying feelings and emotions that color the world of the China adoptee. At Home in This World effectively describes and empowers a young girl looking for acknowledgement, empathy and emotional validation. It also enables pre-teen readers to put their early lives into perspective, while emphasizing the supportive love that encircles them within their own families. What is your life story? Everyone has a one, and with a little detective work you will be certain that no one has a life story as extraordinary as your own...

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